In modern times, attempts are often made to use the modern scientific method to infer or prove the existence of a spiritual dimension. Electrodes are attached to mediator’s head, psychics and remote viewers are tested for accuracy and consistency, and the results of intentions and prayers are statistically measured and quantified.

But what happens when, instead of attempting to use the finite to prove the infinite, we apply the systematic modeling that the modern science methodology gives us over the works of all the great masters? Can we possibly distill a common framework by analyzing the teachings of Jesus, Krishna, Buddha, Mohammed, Rumi and so many others and resynthesize the findings into a workable hypothesis? A hypothesis so comprehensive that when applied to all of the world’s major religions, it can be mapped across them universally while at the same time encompassing everything from remote viewing and reincarnation to Near-Death experiences (NDEs) and Out of Body experiences.

The true spirit of science, going back thousands of years, has always been a quest for knowledge, for the truth. In fact, the word science comes from the Latin word scient, which simply means “to know”, as in omniscient or All Knowing. The relatively young Modern Scientific Method has its short coming, but it does give us a step-by-step process that includes assumptions, definitions, axioms, postulates and hypothesis and then suggests protocols, methods and techniques to either prove or disprove a given theory.

So if we were to use this step-by-step process to examine what all of the great masters have attempted to communicate, what would these basic axioms, definitions, assumptions and hypotheses be? And which theory would we then isolate and which protocols, methods and techniques would we use to either prove or disprove this theory? And in a truly scientifically-minded approach, research into various spiritual traditions would not only include the most prominent texts, but also all the available information. For example, in drawing a comprehensive comparison between the fundamental messages of Christianity against other traditions, it would be unscientific to exclude the many, many documents that were removed from the bible such as the Gospel of Thomas, Gospel of Mary, the Didache, Pistas Sophia, Gospel of Peter, etc.

To begin this process scientifically, we would start with the simple definitions and axioms that we find in every faith. We can take, for an example, a simple definition of truth. If we look at what all the masters have said, you will recognize a definition for Truth as this: The Truth is that which doesn’t change, anything that changes isn’t real. Furthermore, we can take as a working axiom, things like the concepts that we are not our bodies, we are not our egos, we are not our memories and we are not our minds. As in all things in the scientific process, we begin to use these basic building blocks of definitions and axioms to slowly build up a model.

While the Modern Scientific Method rejects reincarnation out of hand because it is absolutely impossible to prove or disprove using their techniques and protocols, there is sufficient evidence in each of the great traditions of the world that reincarnation is real so it would be unreasonable to exclude it as a postulate in our model. If you look at something like the concept of Original Sin in Judaism and Christianity, which to a lot of people seem like outmoded mythical concept, all of the sudden it begins to make complete sense when juxtaposed against the idea of Karma in Eastern Traditions.

The one primary concept that seems to be a common thread amongst all Masters is that there is a Self. Atman. God. Cosmic Consciousness. The Non-Dual. Additionally, we can extract from this idea the corollary that, through attaining higher levels of consciousness, it is possible to become Self Realized. What that Self really is, has never really been described (other than through parables), but we can assume it exists. So looking at this model scientifically, we will take the existence of one all-pervading Self as our primary theory. We can take it a step further and apply a scientific truism that, if one human being can have an experience, then every human being can have that same experience. Therefore the basic tenets of the modern scientific process, repeatability and independent verification, are part of our scientific approach.

Once we have scientifically created our model for spirituality, using as a basis all of the great Masters’ works, we can then go back to some of the individual quotes and derive new meanings from them. For example, when Jesus says, “I am the way, the truth and the light,” he is speaking as a Self-Realized Master and not from the perspective of an individual, separate from the Whole. So, naturally, any self-realized master could speak exactly the same words and none of them would be contradicting each other. You can easily see here how, from one perspective, it appears that Jesus is fostering exclusivity, but, from another perspective he is using a scientific approach. There is only one destination because there is only one Self. At least these are the basic theories, postulates, corollaries, axioms and definitions that we take as our model to prove or disprove.

To get to the truth, we again look scientifically at a cross section of all the traditions to extract the protocols, methods and techniques recommended by all the Great Masters to be used for verification. We are told that, although we are just one, the thing that creates and perpetuates this false sense of separation is the ego. We are also told that reincarnation plays a vital role in perpetuating this delusion, and that part of what prevents us from knowing our true Self is our own mind, which is constantly looking to the world without rather than the world within. So we know that to conduct our scientific experiment within the prescribed guidelines, regulating things like diet and other activities greatly enhance the possibilities of success.

Ultimately, the one centerpiece method to either proving or disproving the existence of Self is meditation. In meditation, we are able to scientifically train our minds to quiet down to the point where we begin to experience our true essence. When we learn how to find the off switch for our egos, our memories, or intellects and our emotions, we begin to realize that we are much more than just our bodies and our minds and that everything the Great Masters on this planet have ever taught us, has a basis in Truth.

About the Author

Frank Huguenard is an author, teacher and documentary film producer, specializing in films on Science and Spirituality. You can see a trailer of his Beyond Imagination Trilogy here: https://vimeo.com/60887570 and you can see all three of his films, Beyond Me, Beyond Belief and Beyond Reason at his website www.beyondmefilm.com.

I stopped reading when the author demonstrated basic and fundamental ignorance of the core premises about which he was writing; to wit:
“The relatively young Modern Scientific Method has its short coming (sic), but it does give us a step-by-step process that includes assumptions, definitions, axioms, postulates and hypothesis and then suggests protocols, methods and techniques to either prove or disprove a given theory.”

And person who is actually familiar with what science is, as opposed to simply claiming knowledge of what science is, will be aware of the defined fact that science NEVER proves a theorem. If you would to like know more about this basic difference then do a search on the two words Hawking and truth. Hawking spells out this idea about science and truth in his book “The grand design”

I lied. I went back and glanced at a paragraph or two. But I did stop at:
” The Truth is that which doesn’t change, anything that changes isn’t real. ” and recalled a Native american saying that the only things that do not change are dead. So, according to this author, The only true things are dead. Or life is not real.

This essay is nothing but a string of words with no descernable meaning. The essay has no meaning, and most of the words have no meaning. It is worse than crap, since at least crap can act as fertilizer

abinico warez

You people need to adopt a cat. Cats are full of profound concepts. If you have a cat, you know what I mean.

ubikspray

>>So they searched the globe, and found the most primitive,most illiterate, back water place-the Middle East to send God’s son to give us guidance.<<

Provably NOT "the most primitive, illiterate, backwater place.." but rather the cradles of culture&science: i.e. Algebra, scripting and Astronomy (check that out!) though ist seems true that they were preceded by early achievements in China…take a look at recent discoveries of even older high cultures as Goebekli Tepe (Turkey). (Personnaly i am sure there will be more Discoveries of even earlier metropoles)

(though i understand were this uneducated propaganda image of "primitive,most illiterate" originated..)

Simon

Amazing synchronicity in the subject. The difference between the scientific, the abrahamic and the spiritual is too long to post here but is at simsperspective.wordpress.com.

halderon

John: Take your meds. How are you going to get the same results necessary to prove your hypothesis? See if your meditation tomorrow is the same as today? How Ridiculous! Let’s quote Hitchens:”Here is what they expect you to believe-about 100,000 years ago,we appeared. Until about 3000 years ago, they treated us with Celestial Indifference. Then, someone said,”Hey! those earthlings need our help.” So they searched the globe, and found the most primitive,most illiterate, back water place-the Middle East to send God’s son to give us guidance. Now, they could have chosen China were elementary writing was in place, but no! They chose the back world to send him and why? Because Superstition was ripe. Then, they put us under celestial surveillance,where even our most private thoughts were recorded- A Celestial North Korea!” You have only to look at religion to see that it is Fairy Tale with creatures in the sky. That’s why angels have wings. They were spiritual beings until they were painted. Then, they had wings cause they lived in the sky.C’mon, it is 2013-no need for creatures in the sky!

John

I’m off the meds! no more for me.
You are in my Prayers Halderon.

Liberty Sol

Into a loveless place, the wrath of God was being demonstrated. along the path, crucified examples of humans on crosses, to keep you in fear of false authority. not different from any location of this planet. The Love of God entered in… through a Being of Light to demonstrate the ascension and resurrection of a new Being of Love’s Creation.

Liberty Sol

The demonstration of a new requirement which many are following..in resurrecting and ascending …dissolving the old memories of limited man..the impossibility of a separate self..from Self.

John

The Absolute Truth is their is only one absolute truth and that is the Absolute Truth.So all truths are half truths and some truer than others.Does the Absolute change? ?absolutely?

dimitri

Buddhists unnecessarily complicate matters by conflating self and ego. They seem to mean something completely different by Self than this article does. It will always be a guessing game as to why Buddha avoided the subject of the self and soul in the afterlife.

No Bicycle

Your proposal was largely achieved in the 1970’s by Gopi Krishna.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gopi_Krishna_(yogi)
His writings being scientific in nature, they were ignored by mainstream science and were to the distaste of hippies, groupies and new-agers who would normally take an interest in an “Indian Guru”. Only an infinitesimal fraction of humanity noticed, but that did include such luminaries as Claus Nobel of the Nobel Foundation and Carl Friedrich von Weizsäcker professor of Life Sciences at the prestigious Max Planck institute in Germany.

For those who are not aware, Krishna’s hypothesis is that there is a biological mechanism behind genius and mysticism. This thesis was based on the metabolic and nervous system changes in his own body but also based on decades of research into contemporary cases. He also conducted an extensive literature search of Indian and world mystical and religious texts.

Krishna believed that if his hypothesis were proved, the world of religious conflict would likely end, since the root of all religions would be demonstrated to be biological and not magical!

Unfortunately mankind needs a correction from nature before it is ready for this project.

abinico warez

No one understands what you are babbling about.

dimitri

Actually, it’s sort of pretty straightforward. What’s not to understand? Except probably the concept of the ineffable, or Truth as being without change. The Truth is that the infinite is finite. Most people just won’t and can’t wrap their little conditioned minds around that concept.